Update on the Bo One World Link Centre

The Bo Owl Community Centre has been refurbished and its facilities upgraded. OWL now has legal ownership of the land on which the Centre sits.
There is a possibility of an arrangement with a company to install an IT hub at the OWL Centre providing high quality internet, satellite TV and IT training facilities.

The Bo Owl Community Centre on Mattru Road has provided a focus for the activity of OWL in Bo since its completion in 2017.

Recent attention has been given to upgrading and additional maintenance and clarifying the legal ownership status. Whilst the building has been in the practical ownership of Bo OWL since its completion, finalisation of the transfer of land ownership had not been completed. After recent negotiations by Wusu Sannoh, the chair of OWL with the original land plot owners, this matter has now been resolved and legal title now rests with Bo OWL. This is an important basis for planning for the future of the Centre. Wusu and the Committee have been looking at how the building may operate and continue to provide a community role in future years. The building has now been repainted both internally and externally and wall and roofing repairs undertaken.

In order to secure the short-term reliability of power another generator has been acquired. To work in parallel with this and provide a sustainable source of power, a programme of solar power provision is under way. the first phase of this has already been undertaken, providing a power supply to meet all the first-floor requirements for lighting, fans, charging and refrigerator through additional pv panels and associated infrastructure.
Looking ahead, the view is that to maintain and develop its position, further investment in the Centre is needed. Wusu and the UK OWL committee are in discussion with an IT company who are interested in developing an IT hub at the OWL Centre. This could provide high quality internet, satellite TV, IT training facilities and other benefits from updated technology. This is a potentially exciting project and together with the forthcoming improvement of Mattru Road could raise the profile of the Centre considerably and develop it into an attractive destination for social and educational purposes in the city.

Refurbished exterior, Bo OWL Centre,

To implement this project, an additional power supply is needed, which can be provided by a second stage of solar power provision. This has now been funded and it is hoped that this can be put in place at an early opportunity. With a generator for back up, this will mean the Centre is wholly self sufficient in power supply and will be able to function effectively as a high-grade IT hub

The Centre also provides accommodation, primarily used by visitors from UK OWL, but which can also be used to generate income from other travellers to the city. The rooms have had basic upgrades, with new window mesh, door locks and some cosmetic improvement, though it is recognized that further work is required to washroom facilities to provide suitably attractive accommodation.

Good progress has therefore been made in upgrading the Centre, though further work is still required. Whilst it has not been used as widely as in previous years, this is largely down to the current Covid situation. However, with the current plans for its further development, we are hopeful that it will once more be a destination of choice for many in the city and support the aims of OWL.

The Day of the African Child – a virtual celebration

For the second year running we had to adapt our plans for celebrating our links and promoting Education for All. There has been no need for a marquee for two years and much disappointment from the lack of physical celebrating. However, perhaps learning from our Bo colleagues’ need to be always resourceful and positive, we planned a Zoom Event with surprising success! We were able to ‘meet’ our MP. We hosted many other OWL, British Council and Send My Friend guests and children in Bo were able to participate for the first time.

The Day of the African Child – a virtual celebration

Schools from across Warwick District and in Bo met online to celebrate the International Day of the African Child, 2021

The ‘Day of the African Child’ is an international event, celebrated every year on 16th June, to raise awareness of the continuing need to promote children’s rights and to improve education to African children. One World Link has been celebrating this event with schoolchildren across Warwick District since 2009. Usually, we arrange a large day-long celebration involving over 500 local children. 2020 and 2021 were – by necessity – a little different. Since the Corona virus prevented us from getting together to celebrate this day, schools in Bo and the UK met up in Zoom meetings.
For the second year running we had to adapt our plans for celebrating our links and promoting Education for All. There has been no need for a marquee for two years and much disappointment from the lack of physical celebrating.

DAV 2021 zoom call
The online call bringing schools together

However, perhaps learning from our Bo colleagues’ need to be always resourceful and positive, we planned a Zoom Event with surprising success! It is actually quite easy to note the advantages:
We were able to ‘meet’ our MP at a convenient time for him, despite last minute changes for us- we saw him at 9.15 instead of 2.30 as originally planned! We hosted many other OWL, British Council and Send My Friend guests without any travel miles, important when our theme is about reducing our impact on the environment (UN Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action). Teachers were able to choose which parts of the day to take part in; some did the whole day with virtual singing, drumming and dance workshops, others came to just the campaign assembly. We possibly doubled/tripled our reach to over 1000 children participating from their classrooms, since this was open to the whole school. Most importantly, our children in Bo were able to participate for the first time, sharing wonderful poetry performance and drama skits.

Sharing a classroom 3000 miles apart
Sharing a classroom 3000 miles apart

Pupils at St Joseph’s Primary, Leamington engaged their virtual audience, including Matt Western MP when describing this years Send My Friend campaign. Here is their summary:
Our task for the campaign is to think about all the challenges children face that prevent them accessing education and then think about what your ideal school of the future would need.
Some examples we have considered are:
• solar water pumps to prevent dehydration,
• well trained teachers that are able to teach the many needs within a class,
• adults educated in equality to make sure no-one is left out,
• enough resources including stationery and technology
• trained health professionals in school to help with physical and mental health,
• free medical supplies such as sanitary towels to help all feel comfortable,
• barriers around schools to prevent dangers from outside
• schools that are kept safe from flooding
• and a germ force field to kill all illness so schools never have to close again.

All of these ideas require one thing – MONEY! Therefore, we are urging our Government to increase our aid to education and encourage other nations to spend more, much more, on global aid.
We would like to ask our MP to ensure that our Government will do what it has promised in terms of funding education around the world – ensuring that all children can receive a quality education.
OWL education is continuing to develop Global Citizens for the future.

Update on OWL in the UK and Bo at the AGM

OWL 2020-21 AGM

Despite the continuing restrictions on our activities due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a great deal of activitiy in both Bo and the UK. In Bo, the OWL Centre has been fitted with solar panels and has been redecorated. Schools in both Warwick District and Bo have embarked on tree planting and joined online to celebrate the Day of the African Child. Teachers’ visits have had to be suspended and we are hoping that they can be resumed in the coming year. Meanwhile there have been further developments on the health link and, at local government level, on urban planning and waste disposal. See the minutes of the AGM for full details

The Alfred Kanneh Memorial Cup

The Alfred Kanneh Memorial Cup

The winning team receive the Kanneh Cup, Feb 2020, presented by Mrs Tiangay Kanneh

Alfred Kanneh organised a friendly football competition between all fifteen One World Link schools in Bo. It was held in February 2018 during a visit by teachers from the UK. The schools were divided into two zones and each school brought two girls and two boys – the event was a fantastic showcase of the unity of the OWL schools.

Alfred was a teacher at BDEC New Gerihun Road and the Public Relations officer for the Bo teachers committee but sadly he passed away later. The competition was held again in 2020 in his memory, now named the Kanneh Cup, with the trophy awarded to the winning team by his wife and children.

Here’s hoping it can be played again soon and can continue to represent working together.

OWL’s History – in the County Archives

Over 40 years of records going back to our origins have recently been stored at the Warwickshire County record Office.
Newsletters, press releases, reports and photos all dating back to 1981 related to the work of One World Link are now available for the general public to access.

OWL’s History – in the County Archives

Over 40 years of records going back to our origins have recently been stored at the Warwickshire County record Office. Details of events, campaigns, visits and a variety of other activities related to the work of One World Link are now available for the general public to access. Jane Knight explains.

As time leaps forward, year by year, I have been increasingly aware of OWL’s long history building up especially as it passes its 40th Anniversary. With that history are all the records of its progress.

Because of Lockdown, I spent more than normal time taking part in Zoom sessions with old friends and colleagues around the world. They raised quite a lot of concern about what happens to all our experiences and records once we are gone? There is always the dread that they will end up on someone’s bonfire at the end of a garden.

Sorting OWL's historical papers
Sorting OWL’s historical papers

I have no spare space to spread out where I live, and the pressure on me to do something about preserving OWL’s archives was mounting. Where to sort? and would anyone want the piles of documents etc. anyway?

By good fortune, my son James who knows OWL well, was willing to let me use his large garden shed which is furnished with shelves and a table tennis table. As his family are moving on, he handed it to me and members of the OWL committee to use as a temporary workspace.

And so on October 6th, Paul Atkins, Kip Warr and myself delivered 2 big boxes of newsletters, press releases, reports and photos all dating back to 1981, to the Warwickshire County Records office.

It was a great relief after we started, to find that WCC were actually interested in what we were doing and they welcomed the materials with enthusiasm. We just hope they will be used in the future.

We came across many letters sent through the years from key friends in Bo.
A special feature is the ‘War file’ which contains personal experiences of the Sierra Leone Civil War in the 1990s. They were related to us in hasty phone calls made from Bo and Freetown by teachers and friends. Bishop Koroma (then Father) told stories of near escapes when he was expected to, and trying to get teacher’s pay out to all the Catholic schools while the war was going on.

One of the file’s contents was a letter from Johannes Mallah senior (later Chair of Bo OWL), recounting in detail his terrifying experiences being ambushed by rebels on the way to a meeting in Kenema.

Delivering OWL records to the Records Office
Delivering OWL records to the Records Office

It was a fascinating experience working out suitable categories for sorting, and reading and sifting through a huge variety materials which capture the exciting progress of One World Link in the Bo and Warwick Districts.

There are accounts of exchange visits, across wide sectors of the communities from councils to teachers and midwives which led to strong friendships and practical benefits for 40 years. The partnerships and cultural exchanges, based on principles of equality, have changed the lives of many of us, here and in Sierra Leone.

Remaining in the shed, are records of many of OWL’s contributions to the UKOWLA (UK One World Linking Association) conferences and campaigns to spread the linking idea across the UK and there are records of more Global activities (Towns & Development) to promote linking and local government and local community cooperation for development in the South and across Europe. I am still hoping to lodge this small collection somewhere for posterity. So do contact OWL if you know of any possibilities?

Jane Knight is the founder of One World Link

OWL Newsletter, November 2021

November 2021

In spite of Covid restrictions and lockdowns a lot has been going on, especially in education.

  • Chairman’s Notebook
  • A report from Bo 
  • The Bo One World Link Centre 
  • OWL puts plastic waste to good use in Bo 
  • OWL Health Link – progress at Yemoh Town Clinic
  • Our History – now in the County Archives 
  • TheEducation Supplement
    • UK Teachers’ Visit to Bo, 2020
    • Climate Action Project 
    • Campaigning and Environment 
    • Cultural and Training Activities 
    • My first visit to Bo – the most incredible experience. 
    • The Day of the African Child – a virtual celebration 
    • The Alfred Kanneh Memorial Cup 
    • OWL Schools’ Trees Project 

Johannes Mallah Jnr visits Bo

Johannes Mallah Jnr visited Sierra Leone in April 2021 to follow up on OWL work and have a face to face meeting or discussion with our contacts, partners and friends in Bo. He updates us on the OWL Centre, Yemoh Town clinic, the Children’s hospital and the Government hospital.

Johannes Mallah Jnr visits Bo

Johannes Mallah Jnr visited Sierra Leone in April 2021 to follow up on OWL work and have a face to face meeting or discussion with our contacts,partners and friends in Bo

Johannes Mallah Jnr on flight to Sierra Leone

When I arrived in Bo, OWL Bo Chair, Dr Wusu Sannoh gave me a warm welcome. I handed letters, parcels and extended OWL UK greetings to OWL Bo members and friends.
OWL BO Centre
went to the OWL Bo centre the following day to see the status of the centre and find out about the challenges and way forward.
Whilst in Bo, I helped out to ensure the OWL centre electrical and interior painting work is completed before returning back to the UK.
I made contact with a solar technician in Freetown to fix power at the OWL Bo centre and there is currently a solar power light at the top floor and the ground floor power work is expected to commence soon and be completed in October or early November 2021. This will cut down on the running cost of the centre as it is expensive to run the centre on a generator due to irregular electricity power supply in Bo city.
There is road project work going on along the Bo Mattru road where the centre is located and when this project is completed, it will add more value to OWL Bo centre.

Yemoh town lab
Yemoh town lab


Yemoh Town Clinic Lab
I visited Yemoh town clinic with OWL Bo chair, Dr Wusu Sannoh and we met with Mr Deen, nurses and other staff.
I helped out together with other OWL Bo members to ensure the lab equipment and kits are purchased and to ensure the work commences before returning back to the UK.
The lab is currently running and OWL UK will continue monitoring its operation and provide support in other areas at the clinic in the future.
Bo Government Hospital:
had a meeting with Dr Augustine Eric Fombah , the medical superintendent at Bo government hospital inorder to find out about their current constraint and for him to list areas which they require help or support.
OWL UK is in touch with Warwick hospital in the UK to establish a link with Bo government Hospital and the discussion is ongoing but slow due to COVID.

A Newborn baby


Bo Children’s Hospital
I also visited Bo children’s hospital and I met with some of the nurses and staff on duty that day. OWL UK is in touch with the hospital partners/trustees in Australia to collaborate and work together in supporting the health link in Bo.
Covid Situation In Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone has been removed from UK red list countries and the government is still encouraging adults to take their covid vaccines. The COVID cases are very low and there is ease in restriction around the country but citizens are also encouraged to put on face masks in public buildings or offices.


October 2021 Newsletter contents page

2021

Restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with lockdowns in the UK and Sierra Leone, prevented face-to-face meetings and visits from January to April
May – Johannes Mallah Jnr visited Bo

Restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with lockdowns in the UK and Sierra Leone, prevented face-to-face meetings and visits from January to July.
Committees held digital meetings and this permitted joint meetings between the Bo and UK committees for the first time.

April – Johannes Mallah Jnr visited Bo
June – Schools in both countries celebrated the Day of the African Child digitally
September – UK archives were lodged with the Warwickshire County Records Office

Thank you, Bo teachers

Dear Bo Teachers,
We write to thank you and congratulate you on organising a very successful, enjoyable and productive visit. We are so impressed with the activities you enabled:
– getting pupils and teachers from every school to the BCC Waste Management centre
– improvements in many school buildings and teaching materials
– involving teachers in Global Learning, our Talking Rubbish Project, Waste Management and Climate Change
– your hospitality, friendship and care.

22nd  Feb 2020

Dear John Sandi and Bo OWL Teachers Group,

We wish to write primarily to thank you and congratulate you on organising a very successful, enjoyable and productive visit (9th– 16th Feb). As we sort through and reflect on our photos, videos, gifts and memories we realise we have so much to be grateful for, which took place in a concentrated week but whose effects will last much, much longer.

We are so impressed with the many activities and experiences you enabled to take place. 

  • You managed the logistics of getting two pupils and two teachers from every school to the Field Trip at BCC Waste Management centre and the Growth Centre. Most schools had chosen pupils who remained engaged and were able to express what they had learnt verbally and cascade this information to their schools the next day. This was effective and the learning should have an impact on the attitudes of staff, pupils and parents. We hope the key messages will be followed up by schools in future assemblies and lessons. We know many teachers are passionate about enabling this.
  • Tim and Liz visited all 15 schools and saw many positive developments; many more text books being used in classes (sometimes shared by pupils 1:3), new buildings, in some schools on-going repairs, the increased use of positive behaviour management strategies such as hand clapping or chanting. We also observed your considerable on-going challenges of over-crowding, lack of teachers, teachers still awaiting pin-codes after 5+ years and many others. We admire you so much for your perseverance and will discuss ways in which OWL might influence change.
  • Most schools sent three teachers to the workshop which covered Global Learning, our Talking Rubbish Project, Waste Management in Bo, Climate Change and literacy skills developed from ‘One Plastic Bag’ story. The engagement, effort and attitude of participants was fantastic. Some of the interactive tasks needed further explanation eg. The Diamond 9 discussion activity and the story-mapping, but you were not afraid to ask for further help and the results increased understanding of the skills and issues taught. We do now hope that what you have acquired from the workshop will be trialled in your classrooms and we eagerly await feedback and photographic evidence. Eg. A teacher at St Charles Lwanga used the Inside/Outside characterisation activity with the life of Mary of Nazareth. We urge you to go ahead developing one another’s digital capacity using mobile phones (mini-computers!) to access the internet for further Global Learning and increased global communication.
  • We were interviewed by SLBC for a radio programme the following evening to spread the positive work of OWL further.
  • You organised visits to many other places which have increased our understanding of life in Bo; the Waste site at Mile 5, the Teaching Service Commission, Paul School for the Blind, Sunday morning church at St Francis and St Teresa and a journey to Kenema, Segbwema and finally Yandohun village where we were able to pass on condolences to the family and friends of our dear late Chairman Maada Fobay. Here we also admired the recently renovated ‘barrie’ and re-built school and gave a case of resources to the school.
  • We were treated to a number of social events which have deepened our friendships and enabled us to know more about each other. A great evening out dancing at Sidami’s, followed by the boys being taken to Dreams to witness yet another aspect of Bo life. The Social Secretaries excelled themselves again, catering for both the welcome evening and the farewell party, as well as an evening for the June 2019 team to reunite over food, drinks, music and laughter. The gifts you gave us will be treasured along with our memories of this amazing visit.
  • The hospitality, friendship and care shown by the staff of the OWL Centre was, as usual, superb and we felt very welcome and comfortable.

All the above would not have been possible without the cooperation of the Teachers Committee and members (new and old) under the leadership of your able Coordinator, John Sandi. You have developed to be a considerable strength within OWL and now we hope many of you will be able to support the work of the parent body at a time of great sadness and loss.

With very best wishes and sincere gratitude, Liz, Tim, Cathryn and Harry (OWL Teachers – Warwick District, UK)

Bo Schools return on 1st July

Today, July 1st, Bo schools have opened again for Class Six pupils who will sit their NPSE exams in August. Teachers and pupils alike have come to school with their face masks.
Our schools link enables us to connect with people from a different culture to learn about life from friends. This helps us all to become compassionate global citizens.

Bo schools return on 1st July

 Schools in both Sierra Leone and the UK have been closed because of the virus but now those in Bo are reopening …
 
Over the past three months teachers across Bo and Warwick district have remained in touch through Whatsapp and, unlike the West African Ebola virus in 2015, this time we shared a crisis together- the Covid 19 Pandemic. Only about 20% pupils in Bo were accessing any education, mostly through the radio, or for those who could afford – private tutoring. 
 
Today, July 1st, Bo schools have opened again for Class Six pupils who will sit their NPSE exams in August which they need to pass to be allowed to move on to Secondary Education. Teachers and pupils alike came to school with their face masks.
 

Our schools link enables us to connect with people from a different culture to learn about life from friends. This helps us all to become compassionate global citizens.

Our One World Link teachers both in Warwick and Bo were able to celebrate the Day of the African Child on 16th June with a Zoom meeting connecting the communities
Sierra Leone, with a population of 8 million, has had 1,462 cases with 974 recovered. They suffered 60 deaths, compared to 4,000 from Ebola disease. Life has been made very difficult for the majority of people with food prices soaring due to closed borders.